The next day started much later than the previous one. Thankfully for the exhausted toddler fennec. After the blackberry pie break that he and Stu had, they had to double up the afternoon work late into the evening. That forced Finnick to miss his now accustomed mid-day nap and it showed as he fell fast asleep the moment he plopped down on the tractor seat for the ride back home from the fields. He didn’t even put up his usual evening time fuss with changing his diaper and getting into his pajamas. The next day Stu went into the nursery at the crack of dawn to start the process over again, but stopped short of waking Finnick up as he could tell that the fennec fox was wiped out from the previous day’s labor.
‘A day off just resting and being a tot will do him more good than the harvest will. We’ll try again tomorrow.’ Thought Stu as he left Finnick undisturbed.
A few hours later the room was active with the noise of the other bunny tots and the day had begun. Finnick groggily arose from his sleep and his day began. While thankful that he was given the day off, he was still exhausted and was dozing off again after only a couple hours of being awake. He managed to stumble along until naptime and was grateful for it as he fell fast asleep the moment he was placed back in his crib.
Time passed and naptime was over and it was time to wake up, but Finnick was still knocked out. Bonnie tended to the other littles first before gently shaking Finnick awake.
“Time to get up sweety. I’ll give you a chance to wake up while I help your littler cousins.” Said Bonnie softly as she tended to her younger children.
Finnick slowly opened his eyes and blinked at the colorful ceiling decorations hanging above his crib. For a moment he forgot where he was. Then he heard the distant sounds of dozens of bunny children racing through the burrow and immediately remembered. Bunny Burrows. The Hopps family. The farm. The diapers (Ugh, still in these…?). The whole weird situation. The little fennec groaned and rolled onto his back. At least he was given the day off for carrot harvesting. His arms still felt sore from yanking vegetables out of the ground for hours. He stretched, yawned, and rubbed his eyes. The nursery slowly becoming more empty as Bonnie changed the younger bunnies diapers and sent them on their way. Eventually only a few tots remained, while others had already escaped to cause whatever organized chaos bunny children specialized in. Finnick sat up and looked around. The conversation he'd had with Stu yesterday kept replaying in his head:
‘A fox's worst mistakes don't have to be the whole story...’
The words had stuck with him, though he wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe because nobody had ever really said something like that to him before. Most mammals either remembered him as a scammer or avoided him entirely. Stu had known exactly what Finnick had done and somehow still treated him like he was worth saving. The thought made the little fox's ears twitch. Before he could think about it any longer, the granny bunny let the railing down on his crib.
"There you are sugar bun.” Sang Bonnie.
Finnick looked up as the rabbit mother smiled warmly.
"Did you have a good nap, sweetheart?" asked Bonnie as she did a swift check of Finnick’s diaper.
"I'm not answering that.", responded Finnick with an eye roll, “..and I don’t needa change…”
"That means yes.", laughed Bonnie as she grabbed a flannel shirt to change Finnick into, “Well ‘yes’ to the nap at least…For once you were right about your diaper.”
"It means I'm not answering." Replied Finnick sharply.
"Sure it does…" said Bonnie as she ignored Finnick’s grumpiness and tidied up some of the mess on the way back over with his shirt. Finnick crossed his arms. Bonnie was impossible. She always seemed cheerful no matter what.
"Well, whether you want to admit it or not, you look much more rested." Said the rabbit as she approached the crib. Finnick yawned again. Traitorous evidence to say the least.
"Thought so." Grinned Bonnie.
"You are way too happy." Groaned the fennec dramatically as he was slipped out of his pajamas.
"…And you're way too grumpy." Commented Bonnie as she placed the flannel on Finnick.
"….Well…somebody has to balance things out Granny." Half-joked as he was lifted out of his crib.
"Come on. I need a helper." Bonnie chucked as she set him on the floor and grabbed his paw.
"A helper?" asked Finnick with his interest piqued
"Yep." Smiled Bonnie as they left the nursery.
"Well, what kind of helper?" inquired the tot.
"The baking kind…" announced Bonnie with a smile.
"...Baking?" asked Finnick eagerly with his ears perked.
"Cookies." Answered Grandma, “Interested?”
Now she had his full attention. Bonnie tried very hard not to laugh.
"No." answered Finnick flatly and firmly as that started an awkward five step quiet pause, “What kind of cookies?”
"Well….I was thinking carrot cookies, but maybe we try….chocolate chip?" Replied Bonnie.
Finnick hopped up and down so quickly that Bonnie nearly laughed herself off her feet.
"Thought so." Chuckled Bonnie as they arrived to the bustling kitchen.
Several older Hopps children were washing dishes. A few others were carrying baskets of vegetables. Someone was sweeping. Someone else appeared to be chasing another sibling with a carrot. Normal Hopps family activity. Bonnie guided Finnick toward the counter.
"Okay." The rabbit tied an apron around herself, "Today we're making enough cookies for the entire family."
"There are like thirty of you." Said Finnick with awe as he tried to count everyone.
"Forty-two if everyone is home." Corrected Bonnie as she started preparing some of the kitchen equipment.
"That's not a family." Declared Finnick.
"It absolutely is." Replied Bonnie a little offended.
"That's a village." Joked the fennec.
"Well, this village likes cookies." Laughed the bunny as she handed Finnick a small frilly apron The fox stared at it suspiciously while Bonnie waited for him to start putting it on.
“…Yeah…I’m not wearin’ this granny.” Decided Finnick as he handed the apron back to her.
“Well, it’s either the apron or just your diaper. I already have too much laundry as it is.” Replied Bonnie a little sternly and with a slight glare, “No cookies if you don’t pick one or the other.”
Finnick stared down his ‘grandmother’ before quickly stripping to just his diaper when he realized that she wasn’t bluffing.
“Aw…Now don’t you look cute.” Awed Bonnie as Finnick pouted.
"First step," she said as she opened the cabinet, "We gather ingredients."
"What do I do?" asked Finnick eagerly as he climbed onto a stool beside the counter.
"Flour." pointed Bonnie toward a nearby cabinet.
"Flour acquired." Finnick saluted dramatically.
“Excellent soldier. Now lets grab the rest of what we need.” Saluted Bonnie back as she listed off the rest of the ingredients. Over the next fifteen minutes the two gathered ingredients. They found the flour, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, chocolate chips, eggs, and butter. By the time everything was assembled, the counter looked like a miniature grocery store. Finnick surveyed their work proudly.
"Looks professional." Described Bonnie looked at the mountain of ingredients, "It certainly looks like something."
The actual baking began smoothly…..At first. Bonnie measured flour, and then Finnick poured it into the mixing bowl with minimal spillage. Bonnie measured sugar…and Finnick dumped it in. With only a small mess. Everything was going surprisingly well. Then came the eggs
"Crack it carefully." Instructed Bonnie as she handed him an egg.
"C’mon…It's an egg." Sighed Finnick with rolled his eyes.
Then three seconds later….
*Splort!*
Egg exploded across the counter with silence following as Finnick and Bonnie stared at the mess. A nearby bunny child burst into laughter.
"It attacked me!" complained Finnick pointing accusingly at the egg.
"Oh, The egg attacked you?" asked Bonnie with a half-smirk.
"C-Clearly!" stammered Finnick with a smile.
Bonnie laughed so hard she had to lean against the counter. The little fox tried to maintain his dignity, but it wasn't working. After the egg disaster was cleaned up, things improved. Finnick stirred ingredients and Bonnie mixed dough. Soon the kitchen filled with the smell of vanilla and chocolate. The fox found himself actually enjoying the work. Nobody was yelling, or chasing criminals, or running scams. It was just baking. Pure and simple. It was a comfortable, normal, and unfamiliar feeling.
"Having fun?" asked Bonnie as she seemed to notice his expression.
"Maybe." Shrugged Finnick.
"I'll take that as a yes." Smiled Bonnie though not entirely convinced.
The fox continued stirring. For a while neither spoke. Then Bonnie broke the silence.
"You know, Stu told me about your talk yesterday." Started Bonnie.
Finnick froze.
"Grandpa talks too much…" mumbled Finnick.
"He worries about you, you know" softly said Bonnie.
"Why?" asked the fennec as he looked down at the dough.
"Because he cares of course." As she continued working.
Finnick didn't answer.
"When Judy was little, she'd get discouraged anytime she made a mistake." Orated Bonnie as Finnick rolled his eyes.
"Everybody keeps telling me stories about Judy..." groaned and complained Finnick.
"That’s because there are a lot of them." Sweetly replied the rabbit.
"Apparently…." Signed Finnick
"The point is that she learned mistakes don't define who you become…" Chuckled the mama bunny as the fox quietly stirred and Bonnie's voice softened, "…Neither do yours."
For a moment the only sound was the mixing spoon scraping against the bowl. Finnick swallowed and changed the subject immediately.
"…So how many cookies are we making?" asked Finnick.
"Several dozen." Bonnie smiled knowingly but allowed the diversion.
"Good." Declared Finnick
"Why ‘good’ hun?" asked granny.
"Quality control." Said Finnick with a full mouth as he grabbed a chocolate chip and popped it into his mouth and both laughed.
Once the dough was ready, Bonnie showed him how to scoop cookie portions onto baking trays. At first Finnick tried making enormous cookie balls, but Bonnie quickly stopped him.
"Those are the size of baseballs big boy. We need them smaller." Corrected Bonnie as she tried to fix the recent batch.
"Aw! But bigger cookies are better cookies." Complained the fennec.
"Not when they're bigger than your head." Giggled Bonnie.
"That's a fair point…." Considered the toddler as he continued with smaller scoops.
Eventually they developed a rhythm. Scoop-roll-place-repeat. Tray after tray slowly filled. The younger bunny children began gathering around the kitchen. Cookie day was apparently a major event as a dozen little rabbits watched eagerly. One tiny bunny pointed at Finnick.
"Can I have a cookie cousin Finnick?!" asked one tiny Bunny named Ally.
"Um…They aren't baked yet." Replied the fennec.
"Oh." Said the little bunny disappointedly, "Can I have one when they're baked?"
An unsure Finnick looked at Bonnie who nodded ‘yes’.
"Sure kid. Mama says you can.” Announced Finnick as Ally cheered like she won the lottery.
Soon the first batch entered the oven and the waiting was torture. At least according to Finnick.
"Are they done yet?..." whined Finnick as he was laying on the floor in front of the oven
"Not yet hun..." answered Bonnie as she was sitting at the table and reading a book.
Five minutes later…..
"Now?" asked the impatient fennec.
"Not yet…” replied Bonnie a little irritated.
Two minutes later…
"What about now?......." whined Finnick some more as he rolled on his back in impatient agony.
"They're cookies, sweetheart. Not magic." Laughed Bonnie.
"Well…They should be magic." Complained Finnick as he sat up and crossed his arms
"You sound exactly like one of my toddlers." Commented Bonnie as she shook her head.
Finnick opened his mouth. Paused. Then closed it again.
"Got you." Smirked Bonnie.
*RRRIIINNNGGG!!*
Finally, the timer rang and the entire kitchen perked up. Bonnie opened the oven that released the warm air that rushed into the room. The chocolate-y vanilla smell hit everyone instantly. The younger rabbits practically materialized beside the oven. Finnick's tail immediately began wagging and didn't even realize it. Bonnie definitely noticed as she carefully removed the tray. Golden brown cookies covered the surface.
Perfect.
The kitchen erupted into cheers.
"One batch down." Laughed Bonnie.
"How many more?" asked Finnick in disbelief.
"Seven." Replied Bonnie.
"You weren't kidding about the village thing." Commented Finnick.
Hours passed and batch after batch emerged from the oven. The kitchen became louder, funnier, and warmer. Finnick found himself laughing more than he had in years. Not forced or scam laughs. Real laughs. Especially with Stu dropped by and one of the younger bunnies accidentally got flour all over Stu's overalls.
A little later Nick wandered into the kitchen and immediately stole a cookie. Luckily for everyone Finnick and Bonnie caught him stealing a swiping a cookie.
“OOOOOooooo…Papa Nick is stealin’!” shouted Finnick as Nick glared and motioned to get him to quiet down, but it was too late.
Another favorite thing that Finnick and Bonnie enjoyed was messing with Nick. Especially when Bonnie made Nick help wash dishes as punishment for stealing cookies.
"Traitor," Nick complained to Finnick
"YOU stole the cookies. Can’t do the time, don’t do the crime." Chimed in Finnick from his stool.
"I regret nothing diaper butt." Teased Nick before hearing a *pop!* from somewhere behind him.
“You’ll regret a whole lot more if you don’t clean those dishes well and watch that mouth.” Said Bonnie ominously as she tapped the wooden spoon in her paw while she smiled and winked at Finnick.
Finnick laughed so hard he nearly fell off his stool.
As evening approached, the final cookie batch cooled on the counter and the kitchen finally grew quiet. Most of the children had scattered and Stu was outside finishing chores, and Nick (who had finally finished with his portion of the dishes) was helping Judy organize supplies. For the first time all day, it was just Bonnie and Finnick. The little fox sat on a stool nibbling a cookie while Bonnie washed a mixing bowl.
"You were a big help today." Thanked Bonnie.
"I guess." Shrugged Finnick.
"Well, you were." Repeated the granny.
Another bite and more silence.
"Hey, Bonnie?" asked Finnick.
"Yes?" replied Bonnie as she glanced over.
Finnick hesitated. The words felt strange and unfamiliar.
"I had a lot of fun today." Whispered Finnick.
"I did too." Smiled Bonnie.
The fox looked down at his cookie. For once he didn't feel embarrassed (Even while wearing just a diaper), or angry, or trapped. Just... content. A feeling he barely remembered. Bonnie dried her paws and walked over. She gently ruffled the fur on top of his head. Normally Finnick would have complained, but this time he didn't. The kitchen smelled like cookies, and the sun was setting outside. Laughter echoed somewhere deeper in the burrow, and for the first time since arriving at Bunny Burrows, Finnick realized something. Maybe Stu had been right. Maybe people would always remember the scams. Maybe they'd always remember the mistakes. But maybe that wasn't all they would remember. One day they'd remember the fox who helped harvest carrots, or the fox who baked cookies. The fox who tried. Sitting there with crumbs on his paws and chocolate on his muzzle, Finnick found himself thinking that maybe that version of him wasn't so bad after all.
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